Auxiliary transfer rolls for textile card licker-in



Dec. 31, 1968 H. w. GROCE ET AL 3,418,697

- AUXILIARY TRANSFER ROLLS FOR TEXTILE CARD LICKER'IN Filed Feb. 23, 1967 Sheet of 5 I NVENTORSI HOMERW. GROCE and WILLIAM A.WAENOCK BYWMJE5 MW ATTORNEYS H. w. GROCE ET AL 3,418,697

Dec. 31, 1968 AUXILIARY TRANSFER ROLLS FOR TEXTILE CARD LICKER-IH Filed Feb. 25, 1.967

INVENTORS.

Sheet 3 House W. Gs'eocr: and WILLIAM AWARNQCK ATTORNEYS Dec. 31, 1968 H.w.RoE Em 3,4 97

AUXILIARY TRANSFER ROLLS FOR TEXTILE CARD LICKER-IN Filed Feb. 23, 1967' Sheet 3 of 5 INVENTORS'.

Ham-=2 W. Gaoceand WILLIAM Awmauock F 4 BYM ATTORNEYS Dec. 31, 1968 H. w. GROCE ET AL 3,418,697

AUXILIARY TRANSFER ROLLS FOR TEXTILE CARD LICKER-IN Filed Feb. 23, 1967 Sheet 4 Of 5 i so E v n 82 i Q 84 H G/NI /ENTORS M I7 f1 g= 6 W15 5M Afifi i i WfiJ,J1Zg4Ay uu[ ATTORNEYS Dec. 31, 1968 H. w. GROCE ET 6 7 AUXILIARY TRANSFER ROLLS FOR TEXTILE CARD LICKER-IN Sheet 6 of 5 Filed Feb. 23, 1967 INVEN'IORS Home-x2 W.G2oa-and WILLIAM Awmauoua ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,418,697 AUXILIARY TRANSFER ROLLS FOR TEXTILE CARD LICKER-IN Homer W. Groce and William A. Warnock, Lyman, SC, assignors to Wellman Industries, Inc., Johnsonville, S.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 617,868 3 Claims. (Cl. 19105) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a high production textile card, correct feeding of textile material to the operating instrumentalities of the card is assured by a novel mounting and drive arrangement for two licker-in rolls and a plurality of auxiliary rolls including divider rolls cooperating with the licker-in rolls. The auxiliary rolls are supported from the card frame adjacent the two licker-ins so as to be adjustable as a unit in at least one predetermined group and so as to be individually adjustable relative to other auxiliary rolls in the same group. A transmission means is provided to operatively connect the auxiliary and licker-in rolls together for coordinated rotation and to the main cylinder of the card to normally be driven in rotation therefrom in coordination to the working of textile fibers thereby, while permitting easily accomplished variation in the ratio of operating speeds through the use of a readily interchangeable ratio determining element. This mounting and drive arrangement provides a wide range of choices as to roll spacing adjustment and ratio drives in accommodating the intended high production of the textile card.

Recent efforts to improve the efficiency of textile manufacturing operations have resulted in substantial increases in the production rates of various classes of textile machinery, including textile cards. With the advent of high production textile cards, certain difiiculties which heretofore have been ignored in textile cards have become critical. In particular, it has become apparent that the maintenance of proper preparation of textile material as the same is advanced to the operating instrumentalities of a card is critical in obtaining the desired high production from the card while high quality is continued.

It has heretofore been recognized that the rate of production of carded material by a textile card may be increased through the use of a pair of cooperating lickerin rolls and a plurality of auxiliary rolls cooperating with the licker-in rolls as divider and packer rolls, and high production card constructions have been proposed to seek such rates of production. Such a high production card places more exacting requirements upon the lickerin and auxiliary roll mechanism in that the incoming fibrous textile material must be properly prepared as it is advanced to the main cylinder of the card. To meet the requirements of a high production card, it is necessary that the spacing of the licker-in and auxiliary rolls be set with an accuracy not herebefore required, and maintained at the established setting during the production of carded material. Additionally, it is necessary that the coordination of feeding rotation by the licker-in and auxiliary rolls to the working of textile material by the main cylinder be properly established for the particular textile material or blend of materials being processed and be adjusted when necessary to accommodate variations in the materials being processed.

In view of the above-discussed difiiculties of and desired features for a high production textile card, it is an object of the present invention to provide, in combination with a high production textile card, a mounting and drive arrangement for a pair of licker-in rolls and a plurality of auxiliary rolls, which arrangement obviates the difiiculties heretofore encountered and assures that accurate and proper working of textile material advanced to the main cylinder of the card is achieved and maintained.

In accomplishing this object, this invention provides means for mounting the plurality of auxiliary rolls for collective adjustment in at least one predetermined group relative to the licker-in rolls and for individual adjustment relative to one another within the group. The mounting means is so constructed and arranged that the necessary adjustments are readily made on initial setup of the card and are accurately maintained thereafter until consciously varied by a mechanic. Further, this invention provides a transmission means which operatively connects the licker-in and auxiliary rolls to the main cylinder of the card for normally rotationally driving the licker-in and auxiliary rolls therefrom. The transmission means includes a readily interchangeable ratio determining element which establishes the rotational coordination of textile fiber feed from the rolls to the main cylinder of the card and permits variation in such coordination to adapt the card for use with various textile materials.

Some of the objects and advantages of the invention having been stated, others will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view, from the right side, of a high production textile card incorporating the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged elevation view, from the left side, of a portion of the card of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic illustration, in elevation, of certain fiber working rolls and instrumentalities of the card of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an elevation view similar to FIGURE 2, illustrating the mounting means for certain portions of the card of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged elevation view, from the right side, of a portion of the card of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a detail, partly broken away, of a portion of the mounting means included in the card of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 7 is an exploded perspective view of one mounting bracket arrangement incorporated in the card of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 8 is an exploded perspective view of another mounting bracket arrangement included in the card of FIGURE 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a high production textile card incorporating the present invention is there shown and generally indicated at 10. More particularly, means are provided in combination with the high production textile card 10 for preparatory working of fibrous textile material being advanced to the main cylinder of the card. Before proceeding to a detailed description of the means so provided in combination with the card 10 it is believed appropriate to first briefly discuss the general manner in which the card 10 operates and the characteristics thereof which facilitate the particularly advantageous combination herein described.

The operating instrumentalities of the card 10 include a number of rotatably mounted cylinders and rolls having toothed surfaces which engage and operate upon fibrous textile material being processed through the card. As is conventional, the card 10 includes a main cylinder 11 for working textile fibers and a doifer cylinder (obscured in FIGURE 1) for removing processed textile material from the main cylinder and advancing such processed material to a packaging means 12 for subsequent further processing. High production for the card 10 is obtained 3 v in part by increased speed of rotation for the main cylinder 11 and dofier cylinder, and in part by the provision of a pair of licker-in rolls 14 and 15, which prepare incoming textile material to be Worked by the main cylinder 11 and perform the first steps in the processing of textile material by the card 10.

In order to assure proper working of the textile material being processed through the card 10, the card preferably includes a plurality of auxiliary rolls 17, 18 and 19 operating as dividers and clearers between and among the licker-in rolls 14 and 15. The main cylinder 11 and the liclker-in rolls 14 and 15 are supported for rotation from a card frame 20, and the main cylinder 11 is driven in rotation by a suitable source of rotational power such as an electrical motor 21 joined to the cylinder by a flexible belt 22. As described to this point, the main cylinder 11 and the pair of licker-in rolls 14 and 15 of the high production textile card 10, the manner in which those instrumentalities are supported, and the manner in which the main cylinder 11 is driven have been known heretofore.

In order to provide textile materials for processing by the card at production 'rates made possible thereby, it is in many instances found preferable to deliver fibrous textile material to the card 10 by superimposing a plurality of laps of textile material such as are formed by textile pickers or other preliminary processing machines. Superimposed laps of textile material may be advanced by a lap conveyor generally indicated at 24, for introduction to the operating instrumentalities of the textile card 10 by an arrangement of feed rollers 25, 26 and 27 (FIGURE 3). In accordance with previously known practice for textile material cards, an arrangement of a plurality of toothed flats mounted on a chain, known as traveling flats and generally indicated at 29, cooperate with the toothed surface of the main cylinder 11 in working the fibrous textile materials.

In accordance with the present invention, and in order to assure proper working of fibrous textile material as the same is advanced from the lap conveyor 24 to the main cylinder 11, this invention provides the combination of a plurality of auxiliary rolls 17-19 with the first and second licker-ins 14 and 15. Preferably, the auxiliary rollers are three in number, as illustrated throughout the drawings accompanying this specification. As will be described more fully hereinafter, means are provided for mounting the auxiliary rollers 17-19 for particular cooperation with the licker-in rolls 14 and and for transmitting rotational motive force to the first and second licker-in rolls 14 and 15 and the auxiliary rolls 17-19 in particular coordination to the rotation of the main cylinder 11 of the card 10. Each of the auxiliary rolls 17-19 is provided with a toothed surface as by being wound with card clothing such as is applied to others of the operating instrumentalities of the card 10, and certain of the rolls cooperate with the licker-in rolls 14 and 15 to divide the flow of stock therebetween and thus smooth the flow of fibrous textile materials through the card 10. Additionally, another of the auxiliary rolls strips the traveling flats 29 of fibrous textile materials removed thereby from the main cylinder 11, and returns such textile material to the main flow of material through the card 10.

In order to provide for adjustment of the distance between the axes of rotation of the auxiliary rolls 17-19 and the first and second licker-ins 14 and 15, and for maintenance of correct distances once the desired and necessary adjustments are completed for proper control over the fiow of fibrous textile material through the card 10, this invention provides means supported on the card frame for mounting the plurality of auxiliary rolls 17-19 adjacent the licker-in cylinders 14 and 15 (see particularly FIGURES 4-9). The mounting means permits joint adjustment of two of the auxiliary rolls, namely the flat stripper roll 19 and the upper divider roll 18, as a group relative to the licker-in rolls 14 and 15, and permits individual adjustment thereof relative to each other. In particular, it is necessary to provide for adjustment of the center-to-center distance between the axes of rotation of the fiat stripper roll and the upper divider roll in order to assure the proper transfer of fibrous textile material therebetween, for return thereof to the flow of material moving through the card 10. Additionally, however, it is necessary to assure proper spaced relationships between respective ones of those two auxiliary rolls 18 and 19 and the traveling flats 29 and licker-in rolls 14 and 15.

Referring now to the mounting arrangement for the flat stripper roll 19 and the upper divider roll 18, the adjustable mounting means includes a standard 40 secured to the card frame 20 by a standard base 41 for pivotal movement about a predetermined horizontal axis defined by a pivot bolt 42 extending through a bore provided in the standard 40 and threadingly engaging the standard base 41. The pivotal movement of the standard 40 about the axis provided by the bolt 42 is locked by a locking bolt 44, which penetrates an arcuate slot 45 in the standard 40 and threadingly engages the standard base 41, and by a pair of opposed adjusting bolts 47 and 48 which penetrate respective threaded bores in the standard base 41 and engage surfaces on the standard 40 to locate the same. By loosening the locking bolt 44 and appropriately adjusting the opposed adjusting bolts 47 and 48, the angular position of the standard 40 about the horizontal axes defined by the bolt 42 may be determined, and the standard 40 locked in the appropriate adjusted position.

A first bearing block 50 is secured to the standard 40 by a pivot bolt 51 which penetrates a bore provided in a mounting ear of bearing block 50 and threadingly engages the standard 40. By means of the pivot bolt 51, an adjustment bolt 52 penetrating an adjustment ear of the first bearing block 50 and threadingly engaging the first standard 40 and an adjustment stud 54 also threadingly engaging the standard, the first bearing block 50 may be positioned in a predetermined angular relationship relative to the standard 40. As both the adjustment bolt 52 and the adjustment stud 54 threadingly engage the standard 40, a means is provided for adjusting the pivotal position of the first bearing block 50 about the pivot bolt 51 and locking the bearing block in a desired adjusted position. More particularly, either the adjusting bolt 52 may be loosened to form a clearance space for rocking movement of the first bearing block 50 relative to the standard 40, and the adjusting stud 54 then rotated relative to the standard 40 to cause pivotal movement of the first bearing block 50, or vice versa. (For an illustration of the manner in which an adjusting bolt and adjusting stud threadingly engage a standard so as to control and lock the location of the adjusting ear of a bearing block, reference is made to the partially broken away view of FIGURE 6.)

A second bearing block is also provided and is secured to the standard 40 by a mounting bolt 61, an adjusting bolt 62 and an adjusting stud 64 similar to the components used with the first bearing block 50, and identified by numerals having the same terminal digit.

Each of the first and second bearing blocks 50 and 60 has a bearing bore therein and is adapted to receive and support a bearing which in turn supports a corresponding one of the upper divider and fiat clearer rolls 18 and 19 for rotation about a predetermined axis. The adjustment permitted for the bearing blocks 50 and 60 relative to the standard 40 thus permits varying the lineal distance between the centers of rotation of the respective two toothed rolls so that the interpenetration of the toothed surfaces on those rolls may be controlled. Additionally, by controlling the pivotal movement of the standard 40, the lineal distances between the center of rotation of the divider roll 18 and the first and second licker-ins 14 and 15 may be controlled, to thereby vary the interpenetration of the toothed surfaces of those rolls and thus control the fiow of stock among and between those rolls. In the sequence of establishing correct adjustments for operation of the card 10, the correct relative positions between and among the various toothed rolls may be obtained by careful adjustment of the adjusting bolts and studs, and the various elements then locked into the adjusted positions for maintaining the desired operation until the same is varied by conscious action of a mechanic. I

While not grouped with another auxiliary roll, the lower divider roll 17 is provided with a similar mounting arrangement in order to assure correct location of the center of rotation of that roll with respect to the first and second licker-ins 14 and 15. In providing the means for the lower divider roll 17, a second standard 70 (FIG- URE 8) is provided and is supported from the card frame 20 by a standard base 71. The standard 70 is secured to the standard base 71 by a pivot bolt 72, about which the standard 70 may pivot to provide one adjustment for the roll supported therefrom. A locking bolt 74 penetrates an arcuate slot in the standard 70 and is threadingly received within the standard support 71, to lock the standard in the adjusted angular position relative to the standard base. Opposed adjusting bolts 77 and 78 penetrate threaded bores in the standard base 71 and bear against opposite sides of the standard 70. A third bearing block 80 is secured to the standard 70 for pivotal adjustment relative thereto about an axis defined by a pivot bolt 81, and is adjustable through the movements of an adjusting bolt 82 and an adjusting stud 84 substantially in the manner described heretofore. Through proper adjustment of the adjusting bolts and tightening of the securing bolts, the distances between the centers of the lower dividing roll 17 and the first and second licker-ins 14 and may be accurately adjusted and fixed against subsequent variation during the use of the card 10.

In order to drive the licker-in and auxiliary rolls 14, 15 and 17-19 in rotation with proper coordination to the rotation of the main cylinder 11 of the card 10, and to provide for variations between the ratio of rotation in order to accommodate varying textile stock materials, this invention provides transmission means operatively connecting the licker-in and auxiliary rolls to the main cylinder 11 of the card 10, so as to be driven therefrom and from the electrical motor 21 (see FIGURES 2 and 5). A readily interchangeable ratio determining element, in the form of a gear box generally indicated at 90 (FIG- URE 2) is provided and mounted from the card frame for adjustment in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter. The gear box 90 includes a pair of meshing gears 90a, 90b each of which is secured to a shaft for rotation with a corresponding belt-engaging pulley. One of the gears is drivingly interconnected with the main cylinder 11 by means of a cogged belt 91 encircling a driving pulley 92 secured on a common shaft with the main cylinder 11. The other of the intermeshing gears within the transmission 90 is operatively connected to the first licker-in roll 14 by means of a V-belt 95 encircling pulleys respectively secured to the second gear and to the licker-in roll 14. At least one of the gears within the transmission 90 is constructed and arranged for easy removal and change, so as to permit varying the over-all drive ratio between the main cylinder 11 and the first licker-in roll 14. The remainder 'of the driven rolls including the second licker-in roll 15 and the auxiliary rolls 17-19 are driven by interconnection to the first licker-in roll 14 through trains of intermeshing gears, as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 5.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. In a high production textile card having a frame supporting operating instrumentalities including a main cylinder, a plurality of traveling flats cooperating with the main cylinder for working textile fibers thereon. a doffer cylinder for receiving textile fibers from the main cylinder, the combination therewith of means for preliminarily working textile fibers as the same are fed to the main cylinder comprising:

first and second licker-in rolls for working textile fibers and for transferring such fibers to the main cylinder to be worked thereby,

a plurality of auxiliary rolls including at least one divider roll and stripper roll, said divider roll being positioned above and between the arcs of said first and second licker-in rolls or transferring textile fibers therebetween and thereto, said stripper roll being positioned between said traveling flats and divider roll for transferring fibers stripped from the flats to the divider roll for further working thereof, and

means supported on the frame and adjustably mounting said auxiliary rolls in at least one predetermined group for individual adjustment of the auxiliary rolls in the group relative to each other and for collective adjustment of the group relative to said licker-in rolls and comprising a first standard secured to the frame for pivotal adjustment relative thereto about a first pivotal axis, a first bearing block secured to said first standard for pivotal adjustment relative thereto about a second pivotal axis and a second bearing block secured to said first standard for pivotal adjustment relative thereto about a third pivotal axis, said first bearing block supportingly mounting said divider roll for adjustment therewith and said second bearing block supportingly mounting said stripper roll for adjustment therewith, so that the divider and stripper roll are cooperatively adjustable as a unit about a first pivotal axis with respect to the frame and are individually adjustable about the respective second and third pivotal axes.

2. A textile card according to claim 1 wherein transmission means operatively connect said licker-in rolls and auxiliary rolls to the main cylinder for driving said rolls therefrom in coordination to the working of textile fibers thereby and including a gear box having a readily interchangeable ratio determining element for establishing the coordination of textile fiber feed from said rolls to the main cylinder.

3. A textile card according to claim 1 including a second divider roll pivotally mounted below and between the arcs of said first and second licker-in rolls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 924,379 6/ 1909 Prestwick et a1 1998 2,949,645 8/1960 Noda 19l05 3,019,623 2/1962 Howes 1998 XR 3,299,672 1/ 1967 Schmidt 19l05 XR 3,308,511 3/1967 Culpan 1998 XR MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 191 11 

